take money from loan sharks!
She took a deep breath. “So, how much does he owe you now ?”
“The exact amount isn't important. I've heard you have considerably more than that.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked blankly.
“Little Cecil has a trust fund, doesn't he?”
Her heart skipped a beat. Cecil's college money. Which Cecil couldn't give them… But she could. Could she deny it convincingly?
“I don't know what you're talking about,” she said, and added for good measure, “Trust fund? Do we really look that rich?”
“Don't you try to play me. I heard it straight from the horse's mouth,” said Lyle. “He can't sign off on the money. But you can.”
She struggled to find appropriate words to reply with.
“Don’t forget,” he warned. “We’ve got your baby brother right here. Better watch what you say.”
She couldn’t let her pride get Cecil hurt, or worse. She’d gotten a glimpse of the sadistic streak in Lyle and his crew already. She had no doubt they could take it further. Much further.
“What do you want me to do?” Her voice only shook a little.
“First off, you can’t go telling this to the cops, or anyone else for that matter. If we get a whiff someone else is with you… That’s it for your brother. That’s a promise.”
Elise believed him. “I won’t. I swear,” she said, mentally crossing her fingers behind her back.
“That little house you got,” Lyle said. “Go there. Tonight, at sunset.”
“That’s where we’ll make the trade? The money for my brother? You’ll let him go?”
“Bring papers to show we got it all, not just the cash. And remember—no uniforms, no help. Just you.” She imagined him leering at her.
The phone beeped as he hung up. Elise stared at it for a moment, chewing her lip. No help, he’d said. She was terrified of how he might harm her brother. But at the same time, she couldn’t just throw away his future, either.
She strode to the office and opened the door. “I just got a call from the Wild Dogs.”
Noah understood what had happened right away. “What did they want? The money?”
“Not exactly.” Elise gave him an abridged version of the call and finished with, “They want to trade him… for me. At my grandfather’s house—tonight at sunset.”
Noah’s lip curled. “That’s not going to happen,” he stated confidently, and Elise’s heart fluttered.
“We’ll get your brother back.” He straightened up, and she saw the military in him come to the fore: ramrod spine, hard shoulders, and a slightly distant look in his eyes. She could practically see the gears churning behind his gaze. “Gabe, grab everyone.”
* * *
They met in the kitchen; it was the only place large enough to hold everyone and hear them at the same time. Noah gave them a short rundown of the situation, and, to Elise’s shock, everyone in his crew supported taking action.
But what, she wondered, could they do? Who knew how big the Wild Dogs were, or how well-armed they might be? Anxiety churned in her stomach. These were good people, and unusually buff, but still…
“I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” she burst out.
Everyone turned to look at her, and she flushed.
“I mean… I appreciate that you want to help. But I just asked Noah if I should go to the police. Can’t they…”
Tyler looked amused. “Do you think we can’t take care of ourselves?”
“It’s not that! But it seems like something professionals should take care of. Doesn’t it?”
“We’re going to tell her, right?” said Gabe.
Elise flashed back to Will saying the Grayson siblings had been assassins, and in a moment of disorientation wondered if she’d been the victim of a double-bluff. “Tell me what?”
Noah shot him an annoyed look. “Well, now we have to.”
“She’s one of us now,” Gabe continued.
A long look passed between the two ex-soldiers while Elise waited on tenterhooks.
“Only if she wants to be,” Noah said
She took a deep breath. “So, how much does he owe you now ?”
“The exact amount isn't important. I've heard you have considerably more than that.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked blankly.
“Little Cecil has a trust fund, doesn't he?”
Her heart skipped a beat. Cecil's college money. Which Cecil couldn't give them… But she could. Could she deny it convincingly?
“I don't know what you're talking about,” she said, and added for good measure, “Trust fund? Do we really look that rich?”
“Don't you try to play me. I heard it straight from the horse's mouth,” said Lyle. “He can't sign off on the money. But you can.”
She struggled to find appropriate words to reply with.
“Don’t forget,” he warned. “We’ve got your baby brother right here. Better watch what you say.”
She couldn’t let her pride get Cecil hurt, or worse. She’d gotten a glimpse of the sadistic streak in Lyle and his crew already. She had no doubt they could take it further. Much further.
“What do you want me to do?” Her voice only shook a little.
“First off, you can’t go telling this to the cops, or anyone else for that matter. If we get a whiff someone else is with you… That’s it for your brother. That’s a promise.”
Elise believed him. “I won’t. I swear,” she said, mentally crossing her fingers behind her back.
“That little house you got,” Lyle said. “Go there. Tonight, at sunset.”
“That’s where we’ll make the trade? The money for my brother? You’ll let him go?”
“Bring papers to show we got it all, not just the cash. And remember—no uniforms, no help. Just you.” She imagined him leering at her.
The phone beeped as he hung up. Elise stared at it for a moment, chewing her lip. No help, he’d said. She was terrified of how he might harm her brother. But at the same time, she couldn’t just throw away his future, either.
She strode to the office and opened the door. “I just got a call from the Wild Dogs.”
Noah understood what had happened right away. “What did they want? The money?”
“Not exactly.” Elise gave him an abridged version of the call and finished with, “They want to trade him… for me. At my grandfather’s house—tonight at sunset.”
Noah’s lip curled. “That’s not going to happen,” he stated confidently, and Elise’s heart fluttered.
“We’ll get your brother back.” He straightened up, and she saw the military in him come to the fore: ramrod spine, hard shoulders, and a slightly distant look in his eyes. She could practically see the gears churning behind his gaze. “Gabe, grab everyone.”
* * *
They met in the kitchen; it was the only place large enough to hold everyone and hear them at the same time. Noah gave them a short rundown of the situation, and, to Elise’s shock, everyone in his crew supported taking action.
But what, she wondered, could they do? Who knew how big the Wild Dogs were, or how well-armed they might be? Anxiety churned in her stomach. These were good people, and unusually buff, but still…
“I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” she burst out.
Everyone turned to look at her, and she flushed.
“I mean… I appreciate that you want to help. But I just asked Noah if I should go to the police. Can’t they…”
Tyler looked amused. “Do you think we can’t take care of ourselves?”
“It’s not that! But it seems like something professionals should take care of. Doesn’t it?”
“We’re going to tell her, right?” said Gabe.
Elise flashed back to Will saying the Grayson siblings had been assassins, and in a moment of disorientation wondered if she’d been the victim of a double-bluff. “Tell me what?”
Noah shot him an annoyed look. “Well, now we have to.”
“She’s one of us now,” Gabe continued.
A long look passed between the two ex-soldiers while Elise waited on tenterhooks.
“Only if she wants to be,” Noah said
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